POKHARA, Oct 28: As the government prepares to reduce the operating hours of Tribhuvan International Airport (TIA) for infrastructure expansion, it plans to fully operationalize Pokhara Regional International Airport (PRIA) and Gautam Buddha International Airport (GBIA) in Bhairahawa. To facilitate this, the government decided a few months ago to offer a special package of incentives to international airlines interested in operating flights at these airports.
The government decided to facilitate the operation of PRIA and GBIA by granting discounts on aviation fuel prices to international airlines. Additionally, it waived value-added tax (VAT) on airline tickets, ground handling fees, and the fee charged by the Nepal Tourism Board (NTB) per ticket during this period. The government’s incentives will remain in effect until mid-September 2026.
With this decision, the government encouraged various international airlines to operate flights at PRIA and GBIA. Incentivized by the government package, Jazeera Airways from Kuwait, Dubai's national carrier FlyDubai, and Thailand-based Thai AirAsia have started preparations to operate flights at GBIA.
However, as of now, no international airline has submitted a written application to operate flights at the PRIA, according to Gyanendra Bhul, the information officer of the Civil Aviation Authority of Nepal (CAAN).
Although there were efforts to shift the traffic from Kathmandu to Pokhara and Bhairahawa, he said that no airlines have shown interest to operate flights to and from Pokhara. TIA will close for about ten hours a day from November 8, 2024, to March 31, 2025, specifically from 10 PM to 8 AM, to allow for infrastructure development. As a result, airlines operating during that time will need to adjust their flight schedules. Currently, TIA opens at 6 AM and operates until 2 AM the next morning.
Bringing Int’l Airlines to Nepal’s New Airports
Information Officer Bhul mentioned that although the government tried to attract airlines to operate flights to PRIA and GBIA by offering discounts on landing and parking fees, the centralized mentality has deterred airlines from flying to Pokhara. He also stated that the improvements at TIA aim to facilitate future flight operations. "We offered an alternative due to congestion in Kathmandu, but airline companies were unwilling to go outside," he said.
Although considerable time has passed since the inauguration of PRIA, the lack of international flights has left not only Pokhara but the entire tourism industry of Gandaki Province disappointed. The airport started operation on January 1, 2023, but the service is limited to domestic flights. As it approaches nearly two years of operation, there is still no certainty about operating international flights. However, in the domestic sector, PRIA has expanded its capacity compared to before.
Even though the tourism sector of Gandaki Province faces significant challenges, the government has not taken effective measures to link Pokhara with the international market directly. Former chairman of the Pokhara Tourism Council (PTC), Pom Narayan Shrestha, states, “Politically, Gandaki Province has failed to draw the center’s attention. As a result, efforts made to operate international flights have yet to materialize.” He mentioned that while the government urged international airlines to reduce flights to Kathmandu and divert them to Pokhara and Bhairahawa during the expansion of TIA, the airlines are yet to opt for Pokhara.
“Until we politically influence the state, attracting international airlines to Pokhara seems unlikely,” he said.
Tourism entrepreneurs report that they cannot directly land foreign visitors from third countries in Pokhara because of the lack of direct international flights. "When TIA reduced its flight hours, we hoped that some airlines would come to Pokhara. However, none of the airline companies have shown their interest to land in Pokhara," he said.
Basu Tripathi, a tourism entrepreneur and former member of the NTB, points out that stakeholders have made little effort to bring international airlines operating in Nepal to Pokhara.
"The relevant authorities do not seem serious about Pokhara. Their efforts only suggest that no international airline wants to fly to Pokhara," Tripathi said, while criticized the CAAN for showing little concern regarding the issue of international flights toPokhara.
“Pokhara attracts all types of tourists, while Bhairahawa caters to only specific guests. Therefore, it’s not appropriate to say that tourists don’t want to come to Pokhara. Visitors are eager to visit Pokhara, but weaknesses in the flight policies hinder this.”
He also pointed out the lack of political initiative. “Pokhara lacks political influence. The Gandaki provincial government must also apply pressure. Additionally, the private sector has distanced itself from the center,” he said.
He stated that the reduction in flight hours at TIA presents a strong opportunity to bring international flights to Pokhara, but said, “We have missed that chance. About half of the foreign visitors arriving in Nepal are ready to come to Pokhara, but we missed the opportunity due to the lack of flights.”
